Midships had things his own way while registering back-to-back grade II victories on the front end at Santa Anita this spring. Chasing his first grade I win in the $300,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap June 6 on the Hollywood Park turf, the Juddmonte Farms homebred is undoubtedly a big threat to do it again.

Arriving in Kentucky two weeks ago, the feeling here was that there were two horses in particular to concentrate on who looked to be coming into the Derby with enough angles to make them live at a decent price. After watching most of the Derby horses work and gallop at Keeneland and Churchill, things have changed a bit, as has track condition.

The post position draw is history, and it is time for racing's greatest minds to start planning strategy. Will there be a fast pace or a slow pace? Do you send or take back and see what others do? Will the outside horses break sharply and try to get to the inside or take back and hope to get lucky to find the holes? The wheels are turning.

Although trainer Doug O'Neill has played a significant role in some of racing's biggest days, on May 5 he will experience saddling a Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) contender for the first time. After the defection of his trainee Cobalt Blue, O'Neill will be saddling two horses in the Derby, Great Hunter and Liquidity

Doug O'Neill ruled the Derby roost Friday morning, sending out seven workers at Keeneland, including his three starters for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). When it was over, O'Neill and exercise rider Tony Romero were all smiles.

With speed the primary ingredient in the Thoroughbred, and true stamina being pushed deeper and deeper into a horse's pedigree, we have to try to find staying power wherever we can. Although old-fashioned stamina on the sire's side no longer is necessary to win the Derby, it still has been a main factor on the dam's side.

Liquidity, hoping to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) on March 10, has been installed as the 5-2 favorite for Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) for 3-year-olds.

Favored Circular Quay, able to avoid the traffic issues he encountered in the Risen Star (gr. III) one month ago, circled the field five wide coming off the far turn under John Velazquez and rallied impressively to win the $594,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Saturday.

Michael and Doreen Tabor's Circular Quay has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight 3-year-olds for the 94th running of the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Race Course March 10.

Ravel made an auspicious stakes debut in Saturday's $101,500Sham Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-olds, rallying on the outside of favored Liquidity to register a one-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile event at Santa Anita.

Saturday's stakes races at Belmont Park are the final key East Coast preps for horses targeting the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov 4. One of the highlights of the card is the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) for 2-year-olds at a mile.

As one of the most successful Thoroughbred owners of 2006, Canadian-born and California-based J. Paul Reddam faces the possibility of having as many as six runners in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov. 4. Join Reddam as he takes questions on the next edition of bloodhorse.com "Talkin' Horses," Wednesday, Oct. 11, beginning at noon ET (9 a.m. PT); online at http://www.bloodhorse.com/talkinhorses.

As one of the most successful Thoroughbred owners of 2006, Canadian-born and California-based J. Paul Reddam faces the possibility of having as many as six runners in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov. 4. Join Reddam as he takes questions on the next edition of bloodhorse.com "Talkin' Horses," Wednesday, Oct. 11, beginning at noon ET (9 a.m. PT); online at <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/talkinhorses</a>.